Taft Twilight

Headmaster Holiday Announced

Mr. Cobb. A vampire?….Well that explains why he doesn’t age. And if Edward Cullen (aka Robert Pattinson of the "Twilight" series) says so, it must be true. Mike, a three-sport varsity captain, and Neve, who does it all—they can’t be human. So Pattinson and Peter Berg ’80 decide it’s time to shut Taft down.

No one thought Headmaster Willy MacMullen could top last year’s Headmaster Holiday announcement. But director/producer Peter Berg came through yet again, filming a video message with Pattinson in Baton Rouge.

Berg recapped his theme of unfairness from last year (headholiday09), reminding students that he didn’t have what they have at Taft now. “You guys are continuing to dominate, “ he says to the camera, “and I’m going to deal with it.”

The tradition of a Headmaster Holiday goes back more than a century, to the election of William Howard Taft, whose son was then a student. Knowing Taft’s son would want to attend the inauguration, Horace Taft declared the first Headmaster Holiday--allowing both Horace and his nephew to attend the ceremony.

"I love this tradition,” said MacMullen. “Every student and teacher needed a break from our labors, but the seniors needed it the most, and it is a really great class. Needless to say, when the film was shown, it was deafening! Peter Berg has directed another blockbuster hit! I thought we were going to have to call in the medics--several of the girls looked as if they were about to have a heart attack!"

Of course the stakes have been raised now. "To top this year's video, I have a few requirements for the announcement of the headmaster's holiday for my senior year," middler Cassie Willson emailed the headmaster shortly afterward. "I'm going to need Paul McCartney in person in Bingham, and he will announce the day off and then pull me on stage to perform an impromptu concert for the school. You can make that happen, right?"

The Volunteer Council took advantage of the opportunity to remind students of the Red Cross blood drive today, with the posting “Edward Cullen wants your blood!”